Change vs. status quo
While Kathleen Ford wants to take the city administration in a new direction, Rick Baker wants to build upon the successes of the current mayor.

Question the candidates As the March 27 general election approaches, the Times will ask questions designed to help voters learn where the mayoral candidates stand on important issues facing the city. Candidates are asked to keep their responses to fewer than 300 words. Answers are edited only if they exceed that length.

Big primary margin major factor in duelST. PETERSBURG -- Earnest Williams tromped Dwight "Chimurenga" Waller in last month's City Council primary in District 6, winning 64 percent of the vote in the five-way race.

Parents can help kids get fit, stay fitParents, the physical well-being of a high percentage of America's elementary school children needs improvement urgently. Studies on childhood obesity and its associated illnesses have brought the problem to the national forefront.

Military news Civil Air Patrol Cadet Bobby Hollingsworth, 16, son of Stephanie O'Reilly of Palm Harbor and Robert Hollingsworth of St. Petersburg, has received the Earhart Award from the Bayside Bridge Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.

Focus on volunteers Gulf Coast Community Care's Permanency Support Program matches volunteers with children between the ages of 3 and 11 who live in state foster homes because of abuse and neglect. They are in need of people to spend up to four hours each week with a child. The goal is for the adult to build trust and provide support through social interaction. For information, call Gulf Coast Community Care at 538-7460.

Museum toasts to green -- and purple and red ...For the rest of the free world, Saturday was St. Patrick's Day, awash in green beer, corned beef and cabbage (along with green milk and mashed potatoes, according to Bonnie Freeman, whom I ran into at the grocery store and who planned to tint everything green for her family dinner that night).

Seafood for sale When they started a business in 1979, the Trappmans envisioned semi-retirement. Today, their store is thriving.

Hamilton Disston teacher wins 'Time' prizeSheree Rensel, a K-12 art teacher at Hamilton Disston School, is the grand prize winner of the Time for Kids/Chevrolet Malibu Teaching Excellence Awards contest. She received a check for $2,000 and the keys to a 2001 Chevrolet Malibu in a Tuesday ceremony at the school, 5125 11th Ave. S in Gulfport.

Police cancer walk teams to hold yard sale Saturday PINELLAS PARK -- If you're looking for that undiscovered treasure, the police have just the thing. The department's "Relay for Life" cancer walk teams will hold a yard sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Pinellas Park/Mid-County Chamber of Commerce, 5851 Park Blvd. Proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society.